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Mini to Mini Cable Review and Comparison
The following is a review and comparison of the following mini to mini cables
RnB Audio Black Diamond
RnB Audio Sky Blue
Markertek Canare Cable
I have tried to describe what I've heard using real world language from real world experiences. I hope the information proves useful to those looking for a mini to mini solution. For those of you that think cables make no difference, read on!
Introduction - I Ain’t No Golden Ear
At the recent National Meet during the panel discussion Mead Killion classified headphone listeners into three main categories, “man on the street”, “trained listener” and “golden ear”. I am certainly no golden ear but have spent my life listening to music and have spent the last few years critically listening to music with headphones. I think I can safely say this puts me squarely in the second camp. While my ears are trained, they certainly have their limitations. It is difficult enough to hear differences between source components or headphone amplifiers, let alone cables, but this is my honest attempt to explain differences to my ears from three mini to mini cables of varying pricing. I compared the RnB Audio Black Diamond mini to mini cable to the RnB Sky Blue and a more generic cable made by Marketek of Canare L-4E6S with Canare F-12 connectors.
Birth of the Black Diamond
When RnB Audio first introduced the Sky Blue it was an immediate success and the reason is obvious – it is well made and beautiful to look at. I’m speculating a bit here, but from the success of the Sky Blue RnB Audio decided there was a market for premium, well made cables, for use in portable “audiophile” systems. I put audiophile in quotes as portable audiophile is something of a contradiction in terms. However, with the advent of several new high quality portable amps and DACs, it is possible to have a portable system that rivals many home based systems. If you’ve spent a lot of time and money putting one of these systems together undoubtedly you will eventually ask yourself what cable to buy and whether a good “run of the mill” cable will be any different than a more expensive audiophile cable. To try and answer this question I tried three different cables in the best system I could put together from my existing gear.
One just needs to look at the RnB Audio cables to see they are well made. However, it is quite another thing to try and objectively determine the sound quality of an audio cable. Needless to say, it is something of a touchy subject in audio circles. I have always been of the belief that a cable should be well made and do what it needs to do. I am not interested in spending tons of money on cables that have been cryogenically frozen or built from exotic materials just for material's sake. I’m sure there are some that swear by their $10,000 interconnects, but as they say on the other side of the pond “horses for courses” and I have never had a system worthy of such high priced wires (and even if I did, I don’t know how much I could really see spending on wire).
Equipment
In order to review the Black Diamond I put together two rigs that utilize a mini to mini cable, one portable and one home.
Portable Rig
Home Rig
[size=xx-small]A glass optical fiber cable was used to input into the DAC in both systems[/size].
While I did some testing with the portable rig while traveling recently, I found the hassle of switching the cables back and forth while on the road a bit tedious, and although this may actually be a better indication of whether or not there are practical differences between the cables, I much preferred being able to relax at home to make my comparisons. As such, most of my observations come from listening to the home rig.
The Music
I primarily used a Chesky Records promotional sampler from 1991. I am very familiar with this disc and I believe it is well recorded. It contains various types of music such as jazz, blues, and even a little classical. I must admit that the downside is that it is mostly a jazz disc even though I listen to all types of music. I've been known to rock out from time to time with anything from the likes of Radiohead to Rage Against the Machine. I will continue to note differences between cables and if I find significant differences from what I've found here, I'll be sure to post them.
My favorite tracks on the disc include:
There are 15 tracks in all on the disc but those are the ones I focused on primarily while comparing the cables.
The Cables
As stated I compared the RnB Black Diamond with the Sky Blue and Markertek. First a few words about build quality and aesthetics.
Markertek Canare L-4E6S – Markertek builds and sells cables and equipment to the broadcast industry. The quality of their material is consistent and their build quality is reliable. The equipment they sell is built to for professional applications and is affordable. I believe the cable I have cost less than $20 for about a 2 foot cable.
However, it looks industrial strength. The insulation on the cable is thick, heavy duty and is built to last. It is not necessarily a “pretty” cable, like a Zu Pivot, but it has a “manly” feel to it. I imagine, I may end up including this cable in my will. The L-4E6S cable is sometimes referred to as "star quad". It is a balanced audio cable with a full braided shield, for balanced audio signals. The F-12 connectors are equally heavy duty with spring strain relief. I believe it is made of brass with a nickel plating.
RnB Audio Sky Blue – The Sky Blue is the prettiest of the three cables. The total length of the cable, from right angle tip to right angle tip is 8 inches. The outer insulation is made of a beautifully colored light blue mesh. Through the mesh you can see three wires of a slightly darker blue color, braided together. The cable is terminated with right angle Switchcraft mini plugs, which are covered with a rubberized black insulator with “RnB Audio” and “Made in USA” stamped on them . Removing the connectors, one can see a plastic sheath protecting the solder connection and two wires going to the plug and one wire going to ground. I don’t know the AWG of the wire but it looks to be about 20 or possibly 18. Don’t take my word on this as I’ve done very little electrical wiring. However, it is not particularly thick, as you wouldn’t expect it to be for this application.
RnB Black Diamond – The Black Diamond looks very similar to the Sky Blue except that it has a black and white insulation on the outside. The color can seem to vary slightly depending on how the light hits it. It is an attractive cable although I do prefer the color of the Sky Blue. Because of the dark color of the mesh on the outside it is difficult to see inside the cable. Upon unscrewing the Switchcraft connectors it appears there are four wires, this time with purple insulation, attached to the plug, with two wires being used for ground, or so it appears. This is an earlier version of the Black Diamond as newer ones have a directional arrow on the black insulation. However, it is my understanding that the arrow is for physical break in and that the cable works equally well in either direction. The cable will however get bent in a particular direction with continued use. Other than that, this cable is identical to the one currently being offered.
Listening
The Baseline – Canare “Star Quad”
I started out my listening tests with the Canare cable. There is certainly nothing wrong with this cable. There does not seem to be any constriction of sound. Instruments are well placed. Dynamic range seems fairly neutral although I might say it is a bit bassy with a bit of bloom to the low end. However, it does not at all sound rolled off as mids are clear and precise and highs are present without being bright. All in all, this is a good quality cable that will last a long time. Definitely an excellent value.
Blue Skying with the Sky Blue
When I first switched out the Canare for the Sky Blue, I immediately noticed a perceived drop in volume. Aptly, the first song I compared was “My Blue Heaven”. The song has a small jazz combo and what immediately seemed different was the upright bass. It was less bloomy, which is why it actually sounded lower in volume. I also noticed that the vocals sounded smoother, although perhaps a bit more recessed. Overall, the sound was more balanced.
To test this out further I went back to the Canare cable and to a track that was a bit more rocking, Natasha’s “Born in Chicago”, an upbeat bluesy number. This time the tighter bass was even more evident with an electric bass, but the vocals now seemed more energetic rather than smoother. The cable had a slightly brighter sound with better instrumentation and separation. The track contains two electric guitars mixed slightly to either channel with the lead panned left and the rhythm panned slightly right. With the Canare, each guitar was less distinct, with the Sky Blue, the guitars seemed much more individual.
Moving on to “I Got Rhythm”, the solo piano track, I listened to the Sky Blue for a while. Arpeggios were clear and articulate. I tried to listen for both attack and delay and to differentiate between the left and right hands. I could hear all the essential elements clearly. After having listened for a few times through I switched back to the Canare. The bloomier bass gave the cable a bit richer sound, but the decay of the notes was much less discernable. Notes blended into one another and the attack was not as clearly defined.
Are Black Diamonds an Audiophile’s best friend?
Once I established that I heard a unique sonic signature from each cable, I introduced the Black Diamond into the mix. I let the CD run to “Antonio’s Song” by Ana Caram with the Canare cable still attached. Certainly, the music sounded very nice with the characteristically warm sound I had become accustomed to. Now was the time to introduce the Black Diamond. My first impression was that the bass was now just as pronounced as with the Canare but without the bloom of the latter. It sounded so good, I let the CD run to one of my favorite songs on the disc “Hey Mr. Mumbles”.
At this point I wanted to establish if there were any discernable differences between the Sky Blue and the Black Diamond. Switching back to the Sky Blue I did not immediately notice a change. However, I “came in” on a quiet section where the rhythm section was laying back during a muted trumpet solo. Once the band kicked back in for the piano solo, I noticed that the bass was less pronounced than with the Black Diamond and perhaps a tad muddy. It also seemed as if the highs were a bit sibilant.
I went back and forth a few more times comparing the Sky Blue and Black Diamond and concluded that the Black Diamond added more air to the instruments, giving them their own separate space in the sound-scape. Trying to confirm this I moved onto “The Song Is You”, which is quite up-tempo with a fast moving bass line. The differences between the cables were subtle, but ultimately I found the Black Diamond more enjoyable, as music just sounded more natural. All instruments were clear with lots of air around them. I could almost feel the air moving from the bass drum and clearly hear the brushes hitting the snare drum.
Notes on Portable Listening
With the portable setup I had a much more difficult time discerning differences between cables. However, in some ways came to very similar conclusions. While I found all three cables to be more than adequate, I found the Canare to sound a bit dark, the Sky Blue to sound a bit bright, and the Black Diamond to sound the most neutral. These differences seemed to be much less distinct though, than when using my home equipment and had I not used the home rig, I may have been much less sure of the differences I heard.
Conclusions
To my ears there is a distinct difference between the three cables I compared. All three performed well and each has its place. The Canare is a workhorse, capable of providing a high enough quality signal that the musical experience is enjoyable. The Sky Blue brings a higher level of refinement, although in comparison to the Canare may be a bit dry and lacking in bass. If your system is bass shy you might actually prefer the Canare. The Black Diamond however seems to bring it all together. It provides the deep bass of the Canare and the smooth refined sound of the Sky Blue with some added air and instrument separation. If you’re looking for a good quality mini to mini to complement your high end portable rig, the Black Diamond is definitely worth a listen.
Keep in mind however, that the Black Diamond is really made for a “reference system” one that uses a very high quality amp and very good source material. Even when using the optical output of the iRiver, I had trouble finding true differences between the cables. Combine that with a listening environment that is less than ideal and these subtle differences tend to get wiped out. Don’t buy the Black Diamond thinking it will transform an iPod into a Marantz.
Finally, and this should go without saying, the differences I heard between cables were with my own ears, nobody else’s. I was actually skeptical about making this comparison in the first place, thinking that I might not hear a difference between cables or that I would have to fool myself into justifying spending so much money on a mini to mini cable. While it is possible I did fool myself, it seems to me that there are differences between cables and it is worth seeking out quality craftsmanship, such as RnB Audio displays. This is not scientific fact, just my humble opinion, as we like to say.
The following is a review and comparison of the following mini to mini cables
RnB Audio Black Diamond
RnB Audio Sky Blue
Markertek Canare Cable
I have tried to describe what I've heard using real world language from real world experiences. I hope the information proves useful to those looking for a mini to mini solution. For those of you that think cables make no difference, read on!
Introduction - I Ain’t No Golden Ear
At the recent National Meet during the panel discussion Mead Killion classified headphone listeners into three main categories, “man on the street”, “trained listener” and “golden ear”. I am certainly no golden ear but have spent my life listening to music and have spent the last few years critically listening to music with headphones. I think I can safely say this puts me squarely in the second camp. While my ears are trained, they certainly have their limitations. It is difficult enough to hear differences between source components or headphone amplifiers, let alone cables, but this is my honest attempt to explain differences to my ears from three mini to mini cables of varying pricing. I compared the RnB Audio Black Diamond mini to mini cable to the RnB Sky Blue and a more generic cable made by Marketek of Canare L-4E6S with Canare F-12 connectors.
Birth of the Black Diamond
When RnB Audio first introduced the Sky Blue it was an immediate success and the reason is obvious – it is well made and beautiful to look at. I’m speculating a bit here, but from the success of the Sky Blue RnB Audio decided there was a market for premium, well made cables, for use in portable “audiophile” systems. I put audiophile in quotes as portable audiophile is something of a contradiction in terms. However, with the advent of several new high quality portable amps and DACs, it is possible to have a portable system that rivals many home based systems. If you’ve spent a lot of time and money putting one of these systems together undoubtedly you will eventually ask yourself what cable to buy and whether a good “run of the mill” cable will be any different than a more expensive audiophile cable. To try and answer this question I tried three different cables in the best system I could put together from my existing gear.
One just needs to look at the RnB Audio cables to see they are well made. However, it is quite another thing to try and objectively determine the sound quality of an audio cable. Needless to say, it is something of a touchy subject in audio circles. I have always been of the belief that a cable should be well made and do what it needs to do. I am not interested in spending tons of money on cables that have been cryogenically frozen or built from exotic materials just for material's sake. I’m sure there are some that swear by their $10,000 interconnects, but as they say on the other side of the pond “horses for courses” and I have never had a system worthy of such high priced wires (and even if I did, I don’t know how much I could really see spending on wire).
Equipment
In order to review the Black Diamond I put together two rigs that utilize a mini to mini cable, one portable and one home.
Portable Rig
- iRiver iHP-120
- HeadRoom Overture DAC
- Larocco Audio Pocket Reference II
- Shure E3c in ear monitors
- Sennheiser PXC-250
Home Rig
- SACDMods Sony DVP-NS755
- HeadRoom Overture DAC
- Larocco Audio Pocket Reference II
- HF-1 with stock bowls (I have Zeta Bowls but find it makes the music sound a bit distant. Nice for relaxing to music but not that great for critical listening.)
[size=xx-small]A glass optical fiber cable was used to input into the DAC in both systems[/size].
While I did some testing with the portable rig while traveling recently, I found the hassle of switching the cables back and forth while on the road a bit tedious, and although this may actually be a better indication of whether or not there are practical differences between the cables, I much preferred being able to relax at home to make my comparisons. As such, most of my observations come from listening to the home rig.
The Music
I primarily used a Chesky Records promotional sampler from 1991. I am very familiar with this disc and I believe it is well recorded. It contains various types of music such as jazz, blues, and even a little classical. I must admit that the downside is that it is mostly a jazz disc even though I listen to all types of music. I've been known to rock out from time to time with anything from the likes of Radiohead to Rage Against the Machine. I will continue to note differences between cables and if I find significant differences from what I've found here, I'll be sure to post them.
My favorite tracks on the disc include:
- Born in Chicago, Natasha – Electric Blues
- My Blue Heaven, John Pizzarelli – Acoustic Jazz
- I Got Rhythm, Earl Wild – Solo Jazz Piano
- Hey Mr. Mumbles, Clark Terry – Live recording from The Village Gate, bluesy jazz
- The Song is You, Johnny Frigo with Bucky and John Pizzarelli – Live acoustic jazz recording with guitar and violin and lots of energy
There are 15 tracks in all on the disc but those are the ones I focused on primarily while comparing the cables.
The Cables
As stated I compared the RnB Black Diamond with the Sky Blue and Markertek. First a few words about build quality and aesthetics.
Markertek Canare L-4E6S – Markertek builds and sells cables and equipment to the broadcast industry. The quality of their material is consistent and their build quality is reliable. The equipment they sell is built to for professional applications and is affordable. I believe the cable I have cost less than $20 for about a 2 foot cable.
However, it looks industrial strength. The insulation on the cable is thick, heavy duty and is built to last. It is not necessarily a “pretty” cable, like a Zu Pivot, but it has a “manly” feel to it. I imagine, I may end up including this cable in my will. The L-4E6S cable is sometimes referred to as "star quad". It is a balanced audio cable with a full braided shield, for balanced audio signals. The F-12 connectors are equally heavy duty with spring strain relief. I believe it is made of brass with a nickel plating.
RnB Audio Sky Blue – The Sky Blue is the prettiest of the three cables. The total length of the cable, from right angle tip to right angle tip is 8 inches. The outer insulation is made of a beautifully colored light blue mesh. Through the mesh you can see three wires of a slightly darker blue color, braided together. The cable is terminated with right angle Switchcraft mini plugs, which are covered with a rubberized black insulator with “RnB Audio” and “Made in USA” stamped on them . Removing the connectors, one can see a plastic sheath protecting the solder connection and two wires going to the plug and one wire going to ground. I don’t know the AWG of the wire but it looks to be about 20 or possibly 18. Don’t take my word on this as I’ve done very little electrical wiring. However, it is not particularly thick, as you wouldn’t expect it to be for this application.
RnB Black Diamond – The Black Diamond looks very similar to the Sky Blue except that it has a black and white insulation on the outside. The color can seem to vary slightly depending on how the light hits it. It is an attractive cable although I do prefer the color of the Sky Blue. Because of the dark color of the mesh on the outside it is difficult to see inside the cable. Upon unscrewing the Switchcraft connectors it appears there are four wires, this time with purple insulation, attached to the plug, with two wires being used for ground, or so it appears. This is an earlier version of the Black Diamond as newer ones have a directional arrow on the black insulation. However, it is my understanding that the arrow is for physical break in and that the cable works equally well in either direction. The cable will however get bent in a particular direction with continued use. Other than that, this cable is identical to the one currently being offered.
Listening
The Baseline – Canare “Star Quad”
I started out my listening tests with the Canare cable. There is certainly nothing wrong with this cable. There does not seem to be any constriction of sound. Instruments are well placed. Dynamic range seems fairly neutral although I might say it is a bit bassy with a bit of bloom to the low end. However, it does not at all sound rolled off as mids are clear and precise and highs are present without being bright. All in all, this is a good quality cable that will last a long time. Definitely an excellent value.
Blue Skying with the Sky Blue
When I first switched out the Canare for the Sky Blue, I immediately noticed a perceived drop in volume. Aptly, the first song I compared was “My Blue Heaven”. The song has a small jazz combo and what immediately seemed different was the upright bass. It was less bloomy, which is why it actually sounded lower in volume. I also noticed that the vocals sounded smoother, although perhaps a bit more recessed. Overall, the sound was more balanced.
To test this out further I went back to the Canare cable and to a track that was a bit more rocking, Natasha’s “Born in Chicago”, an upbeat bluesy number. This time the tighter bass was even more evident with an electric bass, but the vocals now seemed more energetic rather than smoother. The cable had a slightly brighter sound with better instrumentation and separation. The track contains two electric guitars mixed slightly to either channel with the lead panned left and the rhythm panned slightly right. With the Canare, each guitar was less distinct, with the Sky Blue, the guitars seemed much more individual.
Moving on to “I Got Rhythm”, the solo piano track, I listened to the Sky Blue for a while. Arpeggios were clear and articulate. I tried to listen for both attack and delay and to differentiate between the left and right hands. I could hear all the essential elements clearly. After having listened for a few times through I switched back to the Canare. The bloomier bass gave the cable a bit richer sound, but the decay of the notes was much less discernable. Notes blended into one another and the attack was not as clearly defined.
Are Black Diamonds an Audiophile’s best friend?
Once I established that I heard a unique sonic signature from each cable, I introduced the Black Diamond into the mix. I let the CD run to “Antonio’s Song” by Ana Caram with the Canare cable still attached. Certainly, the music sounded very nice with the characteristically warm sound I had become accustomed to. Now was the time to introduce the Black Diamond. My first impression was that the bass was now just as pronounced as with the Canare but without the bloom of the latter. It sounded so good, I let the CD run to one of my favorite songs on the disc “Hey Mr. Mumbles”.
At this point I wanted to establish if there were any discernable differences between the Sky Blue and the Black Diamond. Switching back to the Sky Blue I did not immediately notice a change. However, I “came in” on a quiet section where the rhythm section was laying back during a muted trumpet solo. Once the band kicked back in for the piano solo, I noticed that the bass was less pronounced than with the Black Diamond and perhaps a tad muddy. It also seemed as if the highs were a bit sibilant.
I went back and forth a few more times comparing the Sky Blue and Black Diamond and concluded that the Black Diamond added more air to the instruments, giving them their own separate space in the sound-scape. Trying to confirm this I moved onto “The Song Is You”, which is quite up-tempo with a fast moving bass line. The differences between the cables were subtle, but ultimately I found the Black Diamond more enjoyable, as music just sounded more natural. All instruments were clear with lots of air around them. I could almost feel the air moving from the bass drum and clearly hear the brushes hitting the snare drum.
Notes on Portable Listening
With the portable setup I had a much more difficult time discerning differences between cables. However, in some ways came to very similar conclusions. While I found all three cables to be more than adequate, I found the Canare to sound a bit dark, the Sky Blue to sound a bit bright, and the Black Diamond to sound the most neutral. These differences seemed to be much less distinct though, than when using my home equipment and had I not used the home rig, I may have been much less sure of the differences I heard.
Conclusions
To my ears there is a distinct difference between the three cables I compared. All three performed well and each has its place. The Canare is a workhorse, capable of providing a high enough quality signal that the musical experience is enjoyable. The Sky Blue brings a higher level of refinement, although in comparison to the Canare may be a bit dry and lacking in bass. If your system is bass shy you might actually prefer the Canare. The Black Diamond however seems to bring it all together. It provides the deep bass of the Canare and the smooth refined sound of the Sky Blue with some added air and instrument separation. If you’re looking for a good quality mini to mini to complement your high end portable rig, the Black Diamond is definitely worth a listen.
Keep in mind however, that the Black Diamond is really made for a “reference system” one that uses a very high quality amp and very good source material. Even when using the optical output of the iRiver, I had trouble finding true differences between the cables. Combine that with a listening environment that is less than ideal and these subtle differences tend to get wiped out. Don’t buy the Black Diamond thinking it will transform an iPod into a Marantz.
Finally, and this should go without saying, the differences I heard between cables were with my own ears, nobody else’s. I was actually skeptical about making this comparison in the first place, thinking that I might not hear a difference between cables or that I would have to fool myself into justifying spending so much money on a mini to mini cable. While it is possible I did fool myself, it seems to me that there are differences between cables and it is worth seeking out quality craftsmanship, such as RnB Audio displays. This is not scientific fact, just my humble opinion, as we like to say.
